Psychotherapy In Nigeria

Abstract

There is no exact word for psychotherapy in many Nigerian languages, numbering over 250.
But equivalent words exist for expression such as counselling and cognitive behaviour
therapy. The practice of these arts predated the advent of the Europeans. When modern
psychology arrived in our shores, we naturally adopted the Euro-American models of
psychotherapy. All that makes psychotherapy necessary can be found in our country: trauma
due to child abuse, and neglect, abuse of human dignity, tribal wars, political conflict,
poverty, migration and stress-provoking lifestyles, among others. The Aro village system
developed by Lambo is an attestation to the usefulness of some of our native approaches and
to the efficacy of social support that is inherent in the African traditional system. The
introduction of a bilingual group psychotherapy at Aro in the early 1990 was a natural
follow-up to this development. Group therapy is the most popular form of psychotherapy as it
is practised in most teaching hospitals and psychiatric establishments. Meseron therapy and
harmony restoration therapy are the two foremost indigenous approaches to psychotherapy
in Nigeria. Meseron therapy is cognitive-behavioural in orientation while harmony
restoration therapy is existential-phenomenological. Other therapies commonly taught and
practised include: Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy; Cognitive Behaviour Therapy;
Behaviour Therapy; The Psychodynamic Therapies, etc. Modern psychotherapy services are
available in private clinics/consultations, schools, hospitals and medical centres. The
services are offered by a wide variety of professionals ranging from clinical psychologists
and psychiatrist, to social workers, nurses and pastors. At present, focused training in
psychotherapy is inadequate, in spite of the efforts by the universities and the Nigerian
Association of Clinical Psychologists. This is an important lacuna that the School of
Psychotherapy and Health Sciences, Okija, has come to fill.

Description

There is no exact word for psychotherapy in many Nigerian languages, numbering over 250.
But equivalent words exist for expression such as counselling and cognitive behaviour
therapy. The practice of these arts predated the advent of the Europeans. When modern
psychology arrived in our shores, we naturally adopted the Euro-American models of
psychotherapy. All that makes psychotherapy necessary can be found in our country: trauma
due to child abuse, and neglect, abuse of human dignity, tribal wars, political conflict,
poverty, migration and stress-provoking lifestyles, among others. The Aro village system
developed by Lambo is an attestation to the usefulness of some of our native approaches and
to the efficacy of social support that is inherent in the African traditional system. The
introduction of a bilingual group psychotherapy at Aro in the early 1990 was a natural
follow-up to this development. Group therapy is the most popular form of psychotherapy as it
is practised in most teaching hospitals and psychiatric establishments. Meseron therapy and
harmony restoration therapy are the two foremost indigenous approaches to psychotherapy
in Nigeria. Meseron therapy is cognitive-behavioural in orientation while harmony
restoration therapy is existential-phenomenological. Other therapies commonly taught and
practised include: Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy; Cognitive Behaviour Therapy;
Behaviour Therapy; The Psychodynamic Therapies, etc. Modern psychotherapy services are
available in private clinics/consultations, schools, hospitals and medical centres. The
services are offered by a wide variety of professionals ranging from clinical psychologists
and psychiatrist, to social workers, nurses and pastors. At present, focused training in
psychotherapy is inadequate, in spite of the efforts by the universities and the Nigerian
Association of Clinical Psychologists. This is an important lacuna that the School of
Psychotherapy and Health Sciences, Okija, has come to fill.

Abstract

Most Nigerian students have the problem of standing up for their right especially in a social
situation. This affects their ability to dialogue, press, influence, and impose their opinion to
the acceptance of others. Unassertiveness may sometimes predict mal-adaptive behaviour
which is usually seen in people with low self-esteem and this may significantly affect one’s
religiosity. As a result and in consideration of the importance of religious life of young
people and its relationship with social mal-adjustment, this study explored religiosity and
social mal-adjustment as correlates of assertiveness competence among undergraduate. 432
student-participants comprising of 191 males and 242 females were used for the respondents
of the study with the participants’ age ranging from 17 to 25 years on a mean age of 22.60
years and standard deviation of 2.12. Three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study
and data was collected with the aid of assertiveness competence scale from Dating and
assertiveness questionnaire (DAQ) by Levenson and Gottman (1978), religious affiliation
scale by Omoluabi (1995)and social mal-adjustment scale by social mal-adjustment scale
(SMS) by Wiggins (1966).The result of the analysis confirmed that religiosity and maladjustment
correlated positively and negatively respectively; whereas religiosity and maladjustment
correlated negatively among Nigeria students. It is recommended that all agents
of socialization notably; the family, the school and church should emphasize more on the
usefulness of deepening assertiveness training in secondary schools so as to improve on their
resolve to get better when they get over to the university.

Authors: Ike, P.R.1; Etodike, C.E2; & Edwards, L.N

1Department of Psychology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State

Abstract

This study examined the influences of age, gender and years of experience on the perception
of e-psychotherapy among clinical psychologists within South Eastern Nigeria. 51 practicing
clinical psychologists (26 males and 25 females) within the age range of 28 to 56 years (M =
42.37, SD= 5.56) were used for the study. An e-psychotherapy scale was employed to elicit
data for the study. The survey research design, independent sample t-test and Analysis of
Variance were used for data collations and analysis. The findings revealed that South-East
clinical psychologists significantly have a positive perception of e-psychotherapy and gender
and years of practice have significant influence on e-Psychotherapy. However, age influence
on e-psychotherapy did not reach a statistical significance. It is, therefore, recommended
that clinical psychologists in Nigeria would perform more effectively using e-psychotherapy.

Abstract

The Nigerian Armed Forces involved in military operations against Boko Haram insurgency
and terrorism in the North East, Nigeria have not developed formalized strategies aimed at
promoting the mental health and well-being of its personnel and their families.
Unfortunately, protracted exposure to insurgency attacks and the military counter actions
undertaken to contain these attacks have placed great stresses on the military personnel and
their families who have already been challenged by the frequent deployments and absences
of their spouses from home. These stresses are often presented in the form of social and
emotional problems amongst children at home and in school. The wives of service personnel
on the other hand are most vulnerable to depression and other psychological consequences
of insurgency attacks as they take on more family responsibilities due to the death or
physical and psychological incapacitation of their husbands. The personnel on their part
face other physical and mental health issues such as traumatic experiences, physical injuries,
depression, aggression, etc. Despite all these issues, the Nigerian Armed Forces have not put
in place measures to ensure the provision of psychotherapeutic treatment thereby building
and strengthening resilience for the personnel and their families. Psychotherapeutic
interventions which concentrate on changing the ideologies of individuals, helping them
resolve psychological issues and rehabilitation will ensure sound mental health and wellbeing
for the military personnel and their families. It is in this regard that the study examined
psychotherapy in the Nigerian Armed Forces for the purpose of developing resilience
strategies among military personnel and their families

Abstract

The study examined the effect of Behaviour Intervention on adolescents’ sexual risk-behaviour. 120 adolescents comprising ( males 56, mean age = 19 years ) and (females 64, mean age= 18.6 years) were selected purposely from a population of 1168 SS11 students in the eight public schools in Awka urban using a survey study . The participants that had high mean score of sexual risk – behaviour, in the survey study, from a sexual risk-behaviour test (males’ mean score =47, females’ mean score = 42) were selected for intervention training. The test has a validity of .94 and a reliability of .82. The subjects were randomly assigned into the three treatment groups, namely: Assertive group, self control group and control group, with 40 adolescents in each group. A random group design with three independent variables and a Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used for the study. The result of the data analysis showed that participants’ scores on the test for those that participated in intervention training in assertive and self-control groups differed significantly from those participants in the control group (P =.03).However, the Scheffe pair-wise comparison test indicates that those in assertive training group had greater change (P=.017).The study concludes that Behaviour Intervention (assertive training and self-control training) had significant effect on adolescents’ sexual behaviour .